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How to get this contrast & color

magic.webp
 
Clarke's Three Laws are three "laws" of prediction formulated by the British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. They are:

  1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that ... something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
  2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
  3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

There is an equivalent rule in photography only the 'advanced technology' is skill and experience.
 
One of the biggest-kept secrets in photography is:

There's more to it than pushing a button and downloading PhotoShop.



Far more.



.
 
Sheesh didn't realize that either.

If anyone has an actual answer; looking for something a bit more technical.

What the histogram may look like rgb? Or the red/magenta in blacks? I would go on to guess the light is natural window with how soft it is. But how do you pull the whites out so much with keeping such a subtle deep contrast?
 
appears to be a beauty dish in a studio setting, not natural light.

your first reply was a good one. The photographer understands lighting and setup his camera to exposure perfectly to the flash output.
 
appears to be a beauty dish in a studio setting, not natural light.

your first reply was a good one. The photographer understands lighting and setup his camera to exposure perfectly to the flash output.
You're right. hadn't noticed the catch prior to
 
Since Pinterest seems not to allow a look without registration I could only get a veiled look but the answer is approximately the same.

Skillful manipulation of curves and layers allows a PSer to manage any part of the brightness spectrum.
If you expect there is a single short answer that will provide a recipe, not going to happen.
 
Obviously lighting and getting exposure right in camera is your first priority and is the most important. And yes, you can achieve that lighting or very similar lighting with natural light using a window with the right natural light circumstances. Not all windows can provide that light obviously and you may have to wait for a certain time of day. Not all photographers are willing to do this. If you aren't, use a beauty dish and strobe.

Secondly what's important is editing. You need to learn how to use adjustment layers. This is highly important, as it is a non-destructive way to edit that gives you a lot of freedom to make adjustments to any color, contrast and exposure adjustments that you make without permanently changing the background image. The main adjustment layer options that you should learn are: Curves, Selective Color, and Hue/saturation. I use curves to get that contrast. I use selective color to control the colors on all color-channels of the image. I use hue/saturation to desaturate the image a little bit, as adding contrast tends to make an image too vibrant in my personal opinion. I guarantee you that you can get those results using these tools, but you're going to have to study, experiment and practice in order to get results like what are in that image. It's taken me 3 years to even begin to master the editing technique that I use now. Start by looking up tutorials on youtube. Your search results may not give you all of the answers you need. If you want a more extensive explanation on how to use these tools in photoshop, I recommend acquiring some classes on Creative Live, particularly the Fashion Photography 101 with Lara Jade. You may have to pay for this content, but sometimes you have to invest in your skillset. It's just like paying for your gear, only in my opinion this is a much more worthy investment.
 
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Look at the catchlights in the model's eye. You will see a squarish, largish softbox. Note that the background has a different lighting pattern. That implies a second light. Note that the shadow depth is not black, but has some detail. That implies a fill or reflector. And of course, post-processing to give the washed-out look.
 

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